A Prayer and Lament for Orlando

We’ve been attacked yet again. I’m not sure how we’re going to stop it, and it’s scary to think that anyone could die like this. 2am. Dancing in a club. In a place that is supposed to be a safe for them.

These are our people. They’re our friends and family members. They’re created in your image and loved by you, just like I am. They’re sons and daughters, fathers and mothers. Cousins. Employees. Bosses. Church members.

Straight or gay or bisexul or transsexual or friends with any of those – no one should be shot in any club at 2am or anywhere at anytime by anyone.

So please help our nation and our world. Please help us to stand for liberty and justice for all. Please give us love and compassion so we can give others love and compassion. Please hear our outrage at this evil, and help us to know what to do and say. Please help us to stand with our neighbors whomever they are no matter what they do or say or think – because we love them. Please help us to truly practice love, however confusing that may be to us. If we don’t have tears for this, give them to us. Break us down. When we cry, give us hope and mercy. Give us steadfast love and justice. Keep evil far from us and far from our very own hearts and lives.

We’ve seen our children die. We’ve seen our soldiers killed. We’ve seen coworkers murdered. We’ve seen countless people of color gunned down. We’ve seen them die in clubs now, but also in churches and at work and on porch fronts and in parks and sidewalks and in schools and in movie theaters – we’d like to be done. We don’t want to see any more.

I’m crying out to you. I’m lamenting another tragedy. I’m trying to sing a hymn of hope, but it’s so difficult right now. I feel cynical about this because I think it’s going to happen again soon. I’m afraid this is a new reality and we’ll be in this cycle again and again, different variations and versions of it. I’m steeling myself for the next time, and then for the next barrage of justifications and political news framing and the church’s action or silence and – I don’t know what to do.

Come then, Lord Jesus. Make this world fair again. Bring your Jubilee and set things right. May we find our hope in Thee.